Take the HIt

We have found a church that we visit when were are in Austin for the weekend...and this week the title of the sermon was "Wait til Dad gets home!".. A catchy phrase because I remember hearing it as a child.....especially if I had gotten in big trouble...didn't happen often but I do remember a time when I wrote with marks-a-lot on the organ....that was not a good call on my part. But Dad was the boss...and he was who we had to ultimately report to when things went awry....when big decisions were to be made, when big requests had been generated, when we needed big answers to big problems...etc. And we had to wait for dad to get home to discuss them. And sometimes the wait seemed like forever...and patience was a fleeting emotion that was fueled by anxiety....what will he say what we he do, how will he react!

It made me think about how I view Christ! Am I anxious about what he thinks, or how he will react or what the consequences of something that I have done will be? Do I consider Him before I make snap decisions or blurt out quick words from thoughts that are brewing..Brad Thomas, the pastor at Austin Ridge in Austin asked a question Sunday that merited thought. How would you live differently today if you thought Christ was coming back soon?
We talk about the second coming of Christ nonchalantly...as if it were a part of a true story yet way too far in the future for us to grasp. But today, at this moment in time....we continue to wait, just as many have done in the past hoping for the time that Christ will soon return. Some wait with great anxiety and others with great hope. This lesson was based on verses from James 5:7-12.
James 5:7-12 (New International Version)
Patience in Suffering
7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

7: Be Patient and hope
8: Stand Firm
9: Don't grumble
10: Patient in suffering
11: Persevere - for the Lord will reward you in the end
12: Don't feel like you have to add anything to truth...it stand on its own

Thomas, the pastor, shared a football example that I will try to recount...because I have been there and I am sure you have too. Maybe not so much in the football arena but with head-on hits of life. He said, the quarterback has the ball looks down the field to find a receiver and then sees a 280 pound beast coming right at him with focused intent of destruction, with a look of great vengeance and steadied force and he knows he has every intention of knocking him off his feet.....flat down to the ground...what does he do...he only has a split second to consider....and having no one to rescue him he stands with courage and readiness in the pocket and takes the hit...that is what we have to do sometimes....be ready to stand in God's pocket and take the hit when things around us are swirling and whirling and the forces in front of us seem to be boldly approaching us to take us out. We might go down in suffering but we have to trust God to help us get back on our feet and keep on trying to succeed.

How do we succeed in a broken world as ours...with patience and trust...in Christ and in Christ alone. Trouble promotes trust and trust promotes prayer. And as long as our prayers are focused on Christ ....his past , his present and his future....we are able to remain steady in spite of what appears to be coming at us. For remember that whatever is coming at us is always countered by who has gone before us....and is coming "after" us. Christ is coming back....and until then we must realize that he does care...even though we sometimes can not see activity... he does have answers to hard questions...he does serve his justice ....he does offer his grace.....he does lead us to a place of hope and peace.. but we must 1)be patient and 2) stand firm and 3) not grumble about petty grievances 4) stand in the pocket and take the hit, 5) persevere 6) stand on truth God's truth that he is coming back and he will be victorious in the end...and so will all of us who he has called his own.

Why do we get so worked up when life sends us the unexpected....if we are on God's team we know we are going to win!
Woodrow Wilson I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately triumph than to triumph in a cause that ultimately fails!
When we stand with God we are standing on a cause that ultimately triumphs....we might not win all the battles....but surely and truly with the leadership and direction of Christ we will be ultimate conquers in Christ's army... in the final war of good vs. evil.

Dear Lord, help me to trust you when I find myself in a pocket faced with a heavy armed animal of anxiety coming at me full force. Remind me that if I get hit...you are with me and if I get free you are with me. Let me be consistent in my trust in you whatever the circumstances before me may be. And even in my suffering may I approach it in peace knowing with confidence that you will in your own time bless me according to your will. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!

website:
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http://simplygod-cathy.blogspot.com/ - this blog has all devotionals on it beginning Jan 2010.
email address: cjodeit@gmail.com